


The kid

by Naie_Black



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020), Reign of the Supermen (2019), Superman - All Media Types, The Death of Superman (2018)
Genre: Fix-It, Gen, as much as Apokolips war can be fixed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:29:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24530830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naie_Black/pseuds/Naie_Black
Summary: "He is a traitor who changed sides when it suited him. What makes you think he won't do it again?" Damian asked and Clark didn't know how to explain.OrJustice League Dark Apokolips War in which everything is the same but Conner doesn't die because fuck that.
Relationships: Clark Kent & Kon-El | Conner Kent, Clark Kent & Lex Luthor, Kon-El | Conner Kent & Lex Luthor
Comments: 10
Kudos: 95





	The kid

**Author's Note:**

> Justice League Dark Apokolips War was the definition of A WILD RIDE.

"He is a traitor who changed sides when it suited him. What makes you think he won't do it again?" Damian asks. 

_The kid_ , he almost said.

And Lex looks at him.

Clark knows, he's known since Lois talked about having a source. (Because who else would have had the balls to spy on Darkseid?)

Because there was a kid out there with Lex's eyes and Clark's face.

Because everything had changed when Lex created Conner.

Because somehow without ever agreeing to it, Clark and Lex had a deal.

_No matter what, whatever happens, the kid needs to be safe_

Fortunately, Lex saves him from having to answer

"Because you need me and you don't have a lot of time. Batman won't allow it." And this time when Lex looks at him, Clark knows. They are in agreement. 

  
Because the truth is, and he could never admit this to anyone, except maybe Lois. The truth is he'd been glad that Lex had betrayed them. He is right, the battle was lost, nothing would've been gained from antagonizing Darkseid further. Conner would've just lost another parent (because at the time, for all he was supposed to represent hope, Clark had been sure he would die). The truth is, he'd been glad Lex had deflected because with parents on opposite sides of this conflict, Conner had a better chance than anybody else of surviving it.

Except of course, if Clark had had more time to think about it, he would have realized that Conner would have never stayed out of the war.

Lex, on the contrary, had thought about it before, thought about it obsessively in the years he served Darkseid. He had thought about 'reclaiming' his son when he heard reports of the underground operations he was part of. Darkseid had even offered to _gift_ him in a badly disguised interest for a Superman he could control. Lex had been more than tempted.... but in the end he had scuffed and called Conner a defective prototype and clonning Superman a useless endeavor (else Darkseid got any ideas). He had thought he'd be safer fighting guerrilla type battles, sabotaging Lex's 'side projects', and getting supplies for the human survivors, than as a readily available pawn for Darkseid. 

For all that Lex was a master manipulator, he had feared more than anything that Batman could see his attachment to Conner; had Conner been close, Batman would've indubitably realized he'd do anything for Conner... the resistance wouldn't have lasted a week.

  
So Lex did the one thing he was great at, he bade his time.

And here he was finally giving Darkseid and Batman the finger.

* * *

Kon hadn't seen Batgirl go down but he'd heard the horrifying sound of bones breaking and flesh ripping, and knew.

Black Orchid though, he hadn't heard screaming.

Instead, a light had enveloped him and the next thing he knew, he was looking at Clark and Lois.

He blinked, confused, looked around, and discovered the most bizarre collection of people.

"OOOOOOHHHHH, you have a pocket-sized Superman?!" Harley Quinn squealed. "He. Is. So. Cute!" 

Before Kon had time to ask _What the fuck?_ Clark was hugging him.

They don't have a lot of time so they move quickly, and when Kon tries to say 'I'll go with you' Clark just shakes his head and says that they'll need him more here, protecting the portal.

Nobody argues, not even Damian.

And when Clark looked at Lex as he disappeared into the portal, he saw the same thing reflected back at him, and they had another silent agreement

_One way or another, the kid is surviving this apocalypse._

* * *

"We have to hold them off" says Lois and Lex knows its time.

Kon cheers with the rest of the Suicide Squad as Harley Quinn urges them to go out in a blaze of glory. _How can his own child have so little self preservation? How can he be so, so fucking fearless?_ Lex is equally scared for him as he is proud.

Lex is standing by the controls but he steps away and gestures for Kon to join him. The kid looks wary but he comes close nonetheless.

Lex puts his hand on Kon's shoulder and the kid turns his huge trusting beautiful eyes at him.

He is sure Kon thinks he'll give him a hug, or some heartwarming last words, profess his love for him, or confess his regrets, ask for forgiveness for all his sins.

As if any of that could fix anything. Lex would have to disappoint his kid again. 

Fortunately, it would be the last time he disappointed him.

It's so fast, it's the fastest Lex has ever moved in his life. 

In one movement, he tips the kid backwards, the foot he had placed behind the kid trip him, and the kid is falling. As soon as he is falling, the light engulfs him and he is being transported away.

Lex looks at Lois and she nods.

_If only one of them is getting out of this, it's the kid._

* * *

Kon is not sure where he is but he is incredibly mad.

He looks around and thinks _of course_ as he looks at the ruins of Darkseid's machine. Probably the only place on earth where there are no paradooms, simply because there is nothing more to destroy here.

Kon is angry, he is so fucking angry, because how dare he.

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!" he screams into the air with nothing but ruins around him to hear

How dare Lex Luthor push him out of the battle?! How fucking dares he to treat Kon like a kid?! How dares him to try and PROTECT HIM?! TO ACT LIKE HIS FATHER FOR THE FIRST FUCKING TIME- HOW-?! HOW-

When Kon realizes he can't breath, his tears have already overflown his eyes and his hands and knees are on the ground 

He could go back.

He could just go back, try to save his father, Lois, anybody that was left. _If there's anybody left_ whispered a part of him he tried ignore rutinately. But. 

But this is the last thing his father did for him.

So he sits down on the dead grass and tries to quiet his sobbing enough that he'll be able to expand his hearing all the way to Metropolis

He doesn't succeed, but by the time he is breathing calmly, he hears a portal open up in San Francisco.

* * *

Kon is not sure what is happening, but when he looks up at his dad, he is smiling so it can't be that bad

* * *

Kon wakes up with a start. 

He is not sure what woke him up, nor can he remember what he was dreaming about, but he has the vague feeling that it wasn't pleasant. 

But a dream is just a dream so he doesn't dwell on it, or else he could be late for tranning and last time that happend, Tim made him do suicides under a red light.

**Author's Note:**

> I also thought that Conner's death was stupid, which we all know ended up being erased anyway but still, I thought Conner at least deserved to watch as the timeline got reset with the others.  
> I'm not sure weather Lex rigged the portal or weather Lois pushed the button so you're free to imagine watever you like best.  
> The last part came out of nowhere but I liked it so it stayed.  
> Hope you've enjoyed it


End file.
